science | conservationhaiku.org

Pacific golden plovers (Pluvialis fulva) are waders, also known as shorebirds. They breed in the Arctic—Siberia and western Alaska—in June and July. They winter across the Pacific—southeast Asia to northeastern Africa, as well as California and Hawai’i. Kōlea is the Hawai’ian name for the species.…

Kōlea

A bioindicator is a species that helps scientists and environmental managers infer the quality of its habitat. Bioindicators can be plants, birds, reptiles, mammals—any species that is sensitive to certain changes or factors in the environment. Commonly, aquatic macroinvertebrates are used as bioindicators for waterways,…

Bioindicators

Many flowering plants cannot reproduce without pollen deposited by foraging animal pollinators. Ecosystems, wildlife, and people benefit substantially from the work of these animals. They maintain plant biodiversity, play important parts in food webs, and contribute to oxygen production and carbon sequestration by aiding plant…

Pollinators

Sperm whales (Physeter microcephalus) are odontocetes—a categorization for toothed whales and dolphins. Sperm whales are the largest of the odontocetes, with females weighing up to 15 tons (13,607 kg) and males weighing up to 45 tons (40,823 kg). They inhabit all oceans of the world.…

Vulnerable Might

I had always felt an affinity for wildlife, especially primates (even despite my aquatic affinities). I remember reading an article about Jane Goodall in a nature magazine for kids in our tiny elementary school library, and it honestly affected me. However a lifelong concern for…

Bornean orangutan

The rivers of the Wet Tropics in northeast Australia are perennial, meaning that they flow throughout the year. The Little Mulgrave River (shown above) is one of these perennial flowing rivers, and a tributary to the Mulgrave-Russell River complex that ultimately empties into the Great…

Perennial Flows

Dams, like the one pictured above, can have detrimental effects on freshwater ecosystems and their connectivity. The dam above is the Prairie du Sac, which sits on the Wisconsin River, and fragments connections between the Wisconsin River and downstream Mississippi River (140 km downstream as…

Fragments

Amphidromous fishes, those that live in streams as adults, whose larvae drift to sea, and migrate back to streams as young, are distributed in coastal systems around the world. Many of these species remain poorly understood by science, because they are small and transient but…

Amphidromy

I am passionate about increasing diversity in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), and because of this I am also often inspired to write about this passion. In 2015 & 2016 a number of high-profile examples of bias and under-representation of women in science were…

Diversity in STEM

The Camargue is located in the South of France between the Mediterranean Sea and the two arms of the Rhône River delta. The region is famous for the extensive coastal wetlands it supports. A few weekends ago my partner and I decided to take our…

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